Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill receives the COVID-19 vaccine./ Arizona Cardinals photo
By Dillon Rosenblatt | Arizona Capitol Times
Arizonans are only days away from being able to place legal bets at a sportsbook or on a mobile device, but the raging Covid pandemic coupled with the low-vaccination rate of the Arizona Cardinals could complicate matters for bettors.
The 2021-22 National Football League kicks off on the same day legal off-reservation betting in the state will begin – on September 9. Three days later the Arizona Cardinals will begin its season, which for the first time in history will consist of 17 games rather than the usual 16. And for the second consecutive season, the pandemic will be a factor.
The NFL already announced it has no plans to postpone any games due to players testing positive for the virus. In fact, it’s the opposite. Teams will be forced to forfeit if not enough players are healthy to perform on gameday.
The Cardinals are one of the worst teams when it comes to the Covid vaccination rate, which means they are at a disadvantage to teams that have reached the suggested 85% threshold and even more so for away games.
